QUICK-THINKING Bromsgrove Guides involved in a head-on collision during a dream holiday have been praised for their actions.

Members of the 5th Bromsgrove All Saints Guides and North Bromsgrove Young Leaders were in Switzerland to celebrate the Girl Guides achieving the highest award they can receive when their coach was involved in a smash with a lorry on a mountain road.

The brave Guides, many of whom suffered whiplash and arm injuries, put aside their own suffering to comfort others following the accident near Interlaken at the end of last month.

Senior Guider Julie Clements, who injured her arm in the smash, told the Advertiser/Messenger the ten-day trip was to celebrate the youngsters achieving their Baden-Powell Trefoil Award, which involves many different skills, including first aid.

She said: "All of those involved deserve recognition for their bravery.

"The girls went straight into first aid mode and were helping and giving comfort to the injured.

"They were brilliant and put into practice everything they had learned."

Five of the young passengers were taken to hospital. One was detained overnight but released the next day.

Mrs Clements said: "We had an incredibly lucky escape but the girls got to achieve what they went for."

Parents were informed of the accident on Thursday night and the group flew back to Britain a day early.